A fresh breath of change! :)

Hi all! I have been absent for quite some time. Wow, I can't believe how long it has been. I have been busy with family and normal life and to be honest had to much on my plate. It was becoming a chore to accomplish all the things I once loved. I took a break from everything. It was much needed. I think I got so wrapped up in everything that I lost sight of my passion. Some changes are definitely in order. Big changes! I can only hope you guys will stick with me throughout the change. i am overhauling everything. There is no place like homemade is getting a whole new look and even a new name. A shop in Etsy is underway as well!!! EEEKKK! I am so excited! I can't wait to share all my work with you guys. New craft ventures are also underway. From a very young age I was mystified by books. I LOVE everything about them from the way they feel to the way a new book smells. LOL Yes, I know I am a dork.:) It's ok to be different.;) In elementary school I would pass up recess and free time to help in the library! So when I mean young age I mean young. By now I am sure you have an idea of what one of the new ventures is. If not here are a few photos to give you an idea.

 

 

 

I am so excited to be bookbinding!!! Books really are a passion for me. I have also taken an interest in the marbled papers you see inside of a book cover. I am trying a couple methods to make my own papers. So far I have used a method that involves floating acrylic paint on methyl cellulose. I am getting the hang of it. I have some pictures to share.

 

 

There is one more marbling technique I am dying to try. The supplies are being shipped as we speak.:)  Suminagashi. It is a Japanese ink marbling technique that dates back centuries. It is believed to have originated in Japan around the 12 century. It is a beautiful art form i hope to master. Here is a link for a youtube video showing you the Japanese marbling technique...Suminagashi Video Link The man in the video has me in awe. I will probably never be close to even have the skill level that this man has. I would love to see him in action and watch him work.

 

Ready for the reveal of the new name!!  So the new name is going to be  Paper to Thread!! I am so excited for this change! So if you see Paper to Thread and don't recognize it on your blog roll it is me!

 

Hope to get everything changed over soon!

Have a great day everyone!

 

Linking up!

Milk and Cuddles Best Link Up

 

Crochet Therapy

So with the crazy summer we have had so far there hasn't been much time for anything crafty. I have been able to squeeze in some crochet here and there. Just wanted to share some pics and sites. My friend Sarah at The Spicy Pinecone reminded me of the Lion Brand Site . FYI: You have to sign up for their newsletter to see their patterns. I had forgotten all about it until Sarah said something about it. And i am so glad she did....I found a ton of cute projects. My first was a market/beach tote. I will be using it as a beach tote. I wanted something that wouldn't hold all the sand but would stretch well with all of our goodies. Here is the link, just remember you will have to sign up to view the patterns, so keep that in mind.. pattern link

This bag is SO roomy! I was able to get 16 of K & E's books in there with plenty of room left. The bag snapped right back to it's shape after I took the bags out.

 I wanted to see what amount of clothing I could get into it.  Eight! Six pair of jeans, one pair of sweat pants, and one pair of dress pants. Can you believe I still had room left. I am so happy with this bag. I was very easy and quick. It took me about three days and I was only working on it here and there.

So do you know how to Crochet? Or any other craft that is very easy and relaxing? Oh and anyone who doesn't know how to crochet...it is very easy to learn. Youtube has dozens of tutorials and there are some great teaching books out there. I have this one...Stitch Bitch Crochet Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller. Awesome book with great photos. I am a visual learner so this really helped. Plus the book is full of cute patters. So if you were thinking of trying crochet....Do It! It is very easy to learn and once you start you will not want to stop.:)

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** I in no way represent Lion Brand nor Debbie Stoller. I do not work for either of them and I am not paid by either of them. They are simply a book and site that I like.**

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!!

Happy Birthday !!!! If you didn't know Dr. Seuss is a big deal in our house. We have a whole nursery inspired by the great magical writings. Check out my Dr. Seuss Nursery Post. Since I was a child the books held a special place in my heart. I love nothing more than to get lost in the pages of an amazing new world a book holds.   I hope my boys have the same passion for reading as I do. I had planned to make some cupcakes to celebrate such an occasion, however, life happened, appointments had to be kept and the cupcakes were at the bottom of my list. Maybe tomorrow. So we will end the night reading all our favorite Dr. Seuss Books...this may be a long bedtime reading session. We love them all! I really love The Sneetches.

Oh and I just need to get some pics of the finished mirror I promised. For now here is a before pic to give you an idea of what I was working with...

Stay tuned for the reveal!!

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple." -- Dr. Seuss

I really love Dr. Seuss!!!!

Almond Joy Whipped Cream!!!

So like most things found in my cooking this was completely on a whim. I had made the Chocolate Cream Pie from this book.

 

It was Delish!! The only thing I changed was the pie crust and the chocolate. I used a plain pie crust instead of a chocolate wafer cookie crust and semisweet chocolate instead of bittersweet.

Now for the Pièce de résistance.....how I made the Almond Joy Whipping Cream. It is quite simple and I am sure it has probably been done before. You make the cream the same way you would normally... 1 cup of heavy cream beat until soft peaks form and then add 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar. This is where I got a little creative. I thought ok  I don't want the same old cream, lets mix it up a bit. So at  this step I got out the Almond Joy coffee creamer I picked up the other day and added 2 tablespoons slowly to the bowl. Then I just beat until stiff peaks were formed. I was SO GOOD! Not to mention it complimented the chocolate very well.  It was simple and quick. Only one extra ingredient and no extra time or steps spent.

Almond Joy Whipped Cream

1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1/4 cup Confectioners Sugar

2 Tablespoons of Almond Joy Coffee Creamer

Beat heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Make sure mixer is on low or the stir setting and slowly incorporate confectioners sugar and coffee creamer. Once incorporated beat until stiff peaks form and chill or serve. DO NOT OVER BEAT. If you over beat your cream turns stiff and grainy.

I hope you enjoy this! We sure did!!

Linking Up With....

Mangia Mondays Bloh Hop @ Shine Your Light

Sundae Scoop Link Party @ I heart Naptime

Feeling kinda ugh...

This week I had planned to do a couple post. Life, however, got in the way. I am not feeling so hot for some reason. Oh and did I mention I must have slept wrong the other night and woke up at 3 am to what seemed like my neck having seizures. It is still very sore but I am able to move around with out fear of a spasm. I have a Dr. App friday so hopefully it is just a bad case of crazy sleeping position. Yesterday I was all gung-ho to sew. I went in my sewing room got out all my stuff, popped in Ink Heart to have something interesting going in the background, and then it seems the wind left my sails. I never even touched the sewing machine. I haven'y sewn in about 2 weeks.  I played with my kids and watched the movie. I hope to be out of this funk soon and get back to myself again. I think if I start exercising and getting into more of a routine I will feel better. I just hope I can pull it together soon. I hate feeling like this. Have you ever been here? I guess you would call it a rut. I know that the only person that can change this is me and I need to get to it. At the end of Ink Heart Eliza Bennett sings such a sweet inspirational song. it was really touching and also said to me "Ashley , Wake up!" Life is too short....you need to take it for all it's worth.

This is the only video it would let me post with the song in it.(sorry this is my first time posting a video so hopefully I did it right) The song is called 'My Declaration' sang by Eliza Bennett (Meggie in the movie) This video also shows a lot of a character called Dustfinger from the movie and other random bits of the movie. I just wanted to share the song with you guys. If you haven't read the Ink Heart Trilogy or seen the movie you should. I loved it!

I feel so much better now. Just writing this really helped.

~Crochet Slippers and Headbands~

I am in LOVE with these slippers! To bad they aren't for me. ;( These were a gift for my mother in law. She loves little slippers. I found this site for slipper making and used the base of the pattern and grew from there.Good Knits

I wear in between a 6.5 and a 7 in a women's shoe. In the pattern where she does 24 stitches in the round and then increases to 32, I stayed at 24 stitches and continued the pattern. When I came to creating the sides 17 stitches was the magic number for me.  With this sole it is all about fit. You really need a good measurement if you are making these as a gift.

After I finished the sole I did 1 round of single crochet and then did a reverse single crochet with decreases in the corners to size. Sorry I am not sure if reverse single crochet is a real crochet stitch or the correct name but I simply did a single crochet just entering under the loop from the back. I am very new to crochet and learning through books and YouTube so forgive  me all you veteran crocheters. Oh and I also recommend using some really nice, soft, fluffy yarn for these. I love silky smooth yarn but it made it slightly uncomfortable walking around of the stiff double crochet stitches.

I whipped these up one night for my mom. This is her foot modeling them for me on Christmas.

This is a set of Ear warmers I did for two sisters. One has a flower and the other a snowflake. I took measurements of their heads exactly where I wanted the headband to rest and took off an inch. I did a chain getting my length and then a small section of single crochet right until the band meets the ear and then I changed the stitch to a double crochet all the way across until I reached the point where it came past the ear again and I went back down to the single crochet. The next 3 or 4 rows were all single crochet. I wanted a solid section covering the ear so they would be functioning ear warmers.

After that I did the reverse of the first two rows. I did a slip stitch all the way around the warmer to finish the edges and them made a couple flowers. One was really large for the front and then a small one to act as a button attached to the back. I stitched a small loop opposite of the small flower and Viola I had a cute little ear warmer.

This is the back side of the snowflake warmer. There is a small loop around the snowflake that is attached to the other side to hold it nicely in place.

The last one is a little headband for a friends little girl. She is about 6 months old. Again I took her measurements and subtracted an inch. For hers I did a single chain to get my length and then a slip stitch to join the two ends. The next row I did a single crochet, then a double, then another single, and finished off the with a simple slip stitch all the way around for a nice finished edge. I gave her a nice big snowflake atop to where for the holidays. Thinking about it now I should have put the snowflake on a clip. I think the next time I go to visit I will do that so she can where the flake as just a bow. To do that you simply cover an alligator clip with some ribbon and hot glue the snowflake to the covered clip.

I am really enjoying the crochet projects I have been learning. The items seems to work up quickly and I find it extremely relaxing. I love that I can take it from room to room and even to doctors offices to kill time while waiting. if you haven't tried it you should. It is pretty simple it just takes practice. YouTube works wonders! I also got a ton of helpful tips from the book Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker  by Debbie Stoller. Plus it has some really cute, fun patterns in it.

If anyone has any helpful crochet tips or crochet corrections(I am still very much a crochet newbie) for me feel free to leave a comment. Happy crocheting!!

~Link Parties~

                                             

                                    

Baby Shower Goodies!

Don't you just love looking at little bitty baby stuff? I do. I also enjoy making it. This little loot of goodies is for a friend expecting a little boy at the end of the year. I hope she likes them. These are all pretty simple items to make but if anyone is interested I can do a tutorial on them or shoot them an email with the instructions. It was late and I had no time to take pictures of the process. ;(

The first item was a car seat canopy. I simple rectangle with cotton on one side and flannel on the other. I used wide, satin ribbon for the ties.

For the next item. I have been brushing up on my crochet skills. When I was little my grandmother taught me the basics. More recently I purchased the book the Happy Hooker and watched tons of tutorials. By the way youtube is awesome!  This is just a simple ear flap hat with braids. I think it took about an hour from start to finish. I love how quickly these work up.

Here is my trusty childhood Ewok modeling for me. It was late and he was the only willing model. LOL! Sorry for the not so great photos....like I said it was late so flash lighting.

Gotta love variegated yarn.

And lastly, burp cloths. These are simply rectangles with a mid line sewn for easy folding and decorative top stitching on the edges. I used a microfiber cloth on one side and flannel on the other. I used the shape and size of the microfiber cloth and just cut my flannel to size.

I hope this gives you some ideas next time you have a shower to attend. Your options are endless. I don't know about you guys but I absolutely love it when someone takes time to make myself or my children something.



P.S. Coming soon Halloween post...with a baby Sumo costume and post about some Mommy goodies I had ordered, received , and tested.

I WON A GIVEAWAY!!!!

Oh my gosh....I can't believe it! Every now and again I will enter a giveaway. I never usually win anything but not today. I felt like Elle Woods in Legally Blonde when she was reading the intern list... you know she yells " ME!" ;) I entered the Sewing with Oilcloth giveaway on Sew mama sew. It was for a new book by Kelly Mcants...Sewing with Oilcloth.

She is also going to include some fat quarters of oil cloth and laminated cotton. I am just beside myself. I still can't believe I won. Yay!  I hope to have some oil cloth goodness posted soon. I also paid a visit to her blogs Modern June and Oilcloth Addict. They are very cute and full of craft goodness. You should check her blogs and book out. I am now happily following both!

As for the absence of my posting lately....it is all my cameras fault. HA! Apparently rechargeable batteries are only good for so long. After a dozen tries of recharging Mr. Wonderful brings it to my attention that they may just be old and need to be replaced. for some reason i thought they would last much longer. So I got new shiny batteries and they are charging. As soon as they are done I should have few new post either tonight or tomorrow. Just to peek your interest...there might be a faux chenille blanket, a couple of very cute little table redos, a new/old fabric storage redo, and some other stuff stored on the camera that I can't remember or access at the moment. LOL

Hope to be back posting soon! A giant Thank You to Sew Mama Sew (whom I love by the way...check them out if you haven't already) and Kelly Mcants for offering such an amazing giveaway!

Cute potholders........9 months in the making :-o

Right before E was born I decided all my old potholders must go. I collected all of them and started tearing them apart to salvage any useable parts. I really had every intention of finishing them before he came. Well a few days later I was in the hospital having an emergency c-section with E. He came a month before his due date.  So the months rolled on and life got in the way. I have been burning my fingers with the dish towel for some time now. Nine months to be exact. So I sat down and picked out some of my favorite fabric. I also had the perfect pattern. When Mr. Wonderful got me my new machine he also included this...

It has some wonderful ideas and patterns in it. It is also so very knowledgeable. I love it. Anywho, this book had the cutest heart shaped potholders in there. The second I saw them I knew I must have them for my kitchen. They were very simple and oh so cute. Ok, so I just looked on her website and guess what....there is a step by step free tutorial!! Yay! So if anyone wants to make them here is the link.... http://www.marthastewart.com/how-to/heart-shaped-pot-holders

I made 4 for myself and had a little extra so I made another for a great friend of mine. Here are my little cuties...hope you like them and make some for yourself. They are so fun...

Now some tips. I didn't want to go to the store have insul-brite so I improvised. I used 2 layers of batting and a layer of canvas. I have used them on everything and not once burned myself. Also, you can kinda see in the pic, I added three lines in the middle and it folds like a dream. One right down the middle and one on each side. Make sure not to catch the pocket though. These have definitely started something. I have the urge to now redecorate my whole house. I hope to make major changes. I guess time will tell. ;)

1,2,3, Sew

Okay the family has been and gone for their visit. My mother loved her pillow with a flower of the boys hands(will post pics later). I have allot to blog about but I am have a few things to do so I will try to get a few more post in tonight after i load all my pics. In the mean time I ran across this awesome book. It is called 1,2,3, Sew  by Ellen Luckett Baker . The title of my post is linked to her blog so when clicked it will take you directly to it. You can enjoy her blog thelongthread.com. She has some awesome craft inspiration of all shapes and sizes. The book holds 33 simple sewing projects with patterns and instructions included. For anyone looking for a cute easy go to book for simple sewing projects this is the ticket. Go check it out. There is also a link on the right for amazon where there is a video  review of the book. Okay I will try to get on tonight and post a little more.